The League and All-Ireland champions are currently on a 22-game unbeaten run, and the only match of consequence that they’ve lost since Jim Gavin took charge three and a half years ago was the All-Ireland semi-final to Donegal in 2014.

After sweeping to yet another League title last month, there have been more garlands than ever landing at their feet.

“We probably hear it every year,” Cooper shrugs.

“Definitely for the last couple of years. 2014 was a bit of a warning shot, that if you’re not right on the day.

"I don’t think it was one particular player, one particular thing but I just thought we didn’t bring enough energy on that particular day and we got caught.

“Every other single county is out to get us, no more than anyone else.

“We have to be as sharp as we can be or we’re going to be caught. That’s what happened two years ago.”

Dublin begin their Championship campaign on June 4 at Nowlan Park against the winners of tomorrow evening’s Laois v Wicklow tie and, if recent years are anything to go by, their provincial campaign will be less testing than the latter stages of the League.

“That’s the way it has been in recent times,” Cooper acknowledged.

“But we got great games at the end of the League this year, which is nice to get, Kerry in the final.

“It’s nice to be testing yourself. It’s just peaks and troughs, I suppose.

“We have a Leinster Championship game in three weeks’ time so that’s what we’re certainly looking towards.”